Apparatus for automatically making blood sugar screening tests



Sept. 22, 1953 A. w. WANZER ETAL 2,653,083

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY MAKING V BLOOD SUGAR SCREENING TESTS FiledDec. 6, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 22, 1953 Afw. WANZER ETAL APPARATUSFOR AUTGMATICALLY MAKING BLOOD SUGAR SCREENING TESTS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Dec. 6, 1951 Qmmm Filed Dec. 6, 1951 Sept. 22, 1953 A. w. WANZERETAL 2,653,083

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY MAKING BLOOD SUGAR SCREENING TESTS 5Sheets-Sheet 3 A. w. WANZER EI'AL 2,653,083 APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLYMAKING BLOOD SUGAR SCREENING TESTS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept. 22, 1953 FiledDec. 6, 1951 wk Q Sept. 22, 1953 A. w. WANZER ETAL 2,653,083

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY MAKING BLOOD SUGAR SCREENING TESTS FiledDec. 6, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 i iiEi E-QQ T I i i 8 I I I I 1 l g .d'l 9F e5 I I 3- l 7 J aa 0 a4 /8 Li F r v l g l l\ 77 L \D||:| II: 'l I I III LI- [7L 3 Patented Sept. 22, 1953 APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY MAKINGBLOOD SUGAR SCREENING TESTS Arthur W. Wanzer and Frederick E. Kalning,

Quincy, Mass., assignors to Mathewson Machine Works, Inc., Quincy,Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 6, 1951,Serial No. 260,148

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a portable chemical testing equipment capableof processing large numbers of samples in a minimum time.

While the device may be used for making various chemical tests, yet ithas been especially designed for conducting blood sugar screening testsfor the detection and diagnosis of diabetes.

The invention is in the nature of an improvement in the deviceillustrated in the Hewson Patent No. 2,560,107, dated July 10, 1951,which device includes a rotatable carrier or turntable supporting aplurality of test tubes containing the blood samples to be tested, meansto rotate the test tubes with a step by step movement to carry said testtubes from one station to another and with a period of rest at eachstation, means to deposit a re-agent into each test tube at certain ofsaid stations, and means to heat the tubes as they are moved forward inorder to obtain the required chemical reaction.

The successful operation of a machine of the type shown in said PatentNo. 2,550,107 depends to a considerable extent on the accuracy withwhich the re-agent tablets are delivered to the test tubes. One of theobjects of the present invention is to insure a positive accuracy inthis respect.

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the abovecharacter in which the various parts can be easily dissociated forinspection or repair.

Further objects of the invention are to provide various otherimprovements in an apparatus of this character which will be more fullyhereinafter set forth.

In the drawings wherein is illustrated a selected embodiment of theinvention,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an apparatus e l-- bodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 22,

Fig. 1.

the test tubes for delivering the re-agent tablets rier or turntablerotates. This post is shown as supported in a member 3 which in turn issecured to the base I by means of suitable screws 4. The member 3 has ahub portion 5 in which the lower end of the post 2 is received, saidpost being retained in position by the set screw 5.

The turntable comprises a tube-carrying me. ber l which is provided atits periphery with a plurality of pivoted test tube holders 8, eachholder being pivotally mounted to turn about a horizontal axis 9 andeach having spring fingers I0 adapted to yieldingly embrace a test tubeIt. The rotary member 1 is mounted on the upper end of a sleeve II whichturns about the post 2 and is supported at its lower end by a'suitablebearing l2. The member I is formed with a hub portion I3 which fits theupper end of the tube I and. has at its upper end an inwardly directedflange I4 that rests on the top of the tube It. The flange I4 of the hubI3 carries a pin which fits into a socket formed in the upper end of thetube II. The tube H, and consequently the member 5, is given a step bystep rotative movement with a period of rest'at the end of each forwardstep, and in the construction shown each forward step turns the member'3 through a 30 arc, and hence there will be twelve forward steps in acomplete rotation. This step by step movement carrieseach test tube Itthrough different stations, at each of which the test tube is heldstationary during the period of rest, and at certain of the stations are-agent tablet will be delivered to each test tube while it is at restat said station, as set forth in the above mentioned patent.

The means for giving the member I its step by step forward rotarymovement comprise a motor I I carried by the base i and connected to thesleeve l I by means of a Geneva movement. The lower end of the tube I Ihas secured thereto a disk I8 having a plurality of radial slots I9 inits periphery. The motor i'i has a power take-01f shaft 29 on which ismounted a disk. 2| having an eccentrically located pin 22 which at eachrotation of the disk 25 enters one of the slots I9 and thus moves thedisk I8 and the tube I l. forward one step, this being the familiarconstruction of a Geneva movement.

The shaft 20 also has a disk 23 fast thereon which is circularthroughout most of its periphcry but is provided with-an indentation 24.The engagement of the circular periphery of the disk 23 with theconcavely curved portions 25 of the periphery of the slotted disk I8serves to hold the disk I8 and the tube l I from rotation during theperiod of rest. The indentation 24 in the disk 23 provides for theforward rotation of the disk It each time that the pin 2| enters andthus operates in one of the slots l9.

Detachably mounted on the tube carrying member I is a member 26 which isprovided with a plurality of chutes 21, one for each tube holder 53, andby which the individual chemical tablets are accurately delivered intothe test tube 16. This member 26 is connected to the tube carryingmember 1 so as to rotate therewith by means of pins 28.

Surmounting the member 26 is a stationary top element comprising a capmember 29 which carries a plurality of tablet dispensing tubes 30, 30c,36c, and 30h, from which the reagent tablets are dispensed at the propertime. The tablet dispensing tubes are all located at the same radialdistance from the axis of rotation 01" the tube carrying member I but atless radial distance from said axis than the tube holders 8. Hence, thetube holders travel in a circle outside of the circle which includes thetablet dispensing tubes. The chutes 21 extend downwardly and outwardlyin a radial direction and the upper inner end of each chute is situatedto move in a circle directly underneath the tablet dispensers, while theouter delivery end of each chute travels in a circle directly over thetube holders 3. Said top element also comprises a lower member 3! whichis provided with gates by which the reagent tablets are individuallywithdrawn from the tubes 30, 30a, 30a, and 3th and de livered to thechutes 21. The members 23 and 3! are detachably connected together bymeans of pins 32, the construction being such that the cap member can bereadily lifted oii from the member 3|. Said member 3! is formed with ahub 33 which encircles the upper end of the post 2 and which is formedin its lower edge with a notch 34 in which is received a supporting pin35 extending from the post 2. The pin and notch serve to hold the member3|, and consequently the member 29, from rotative movement, but as thehub 33 merely rests on the pin 35 the member 3| can be readily removedif it is necessary to do so for inspection or repair purposes.

For convenience the various stations at which the tube holders 8 remainat rest during each rotation of the rotary carrier are indicated inFigs. 1 and 3 at a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, 1'.

At the station 0 two reagent tablets are delivered from the twin or twotube tablet dispenser 3E3, 30a to each tube 16 while it is at rest atsaid station. At the station e a single tablet is delivered from thetablet dispenser 36a to each tube, and also at the station it a singletablet is delivered from tablet dispenser 3th to each tube. For thusdelivering these tablets the member 3! is provided in its upper surfacewith a circular groove 36 concentric with the post 2 in which grooveoperate three gate members 37, 38, and 39, each gate member beingactuated to take a tablet from its dispensing tube 30 and deliver itinto the corresponding chute 21 by the movement of each tube as it isstepped forward.

The gate 3'! cooperates with the twin tube dispenser and it has twoopenings 40 there'- through which have a position relative to each othersimilar to that of the twin tubes 32, 30a. The gate 31 is connected to alever 41 pivoted at 42 and acted upon by a spring 43 which yieldinglyholds it in its retracted position shown in Fig. 3 against a stop 49.The connection between the gate 31, which moves in the arc of a circlehaving the post 2 as its center, and the lever 41 is a pin and slotconnection, said gate member having a pin 93 which extends into a slot44 with which the lever M is provided. The outer end 45 of the lever Hhas a pin 55 depending therefrom which is of a length and is sopositioned that as each test tube it approaches the station at which itis to receive the two tablets from the twin dispenser 30, 36a, the upperend 41' of the test tube engages the pin 46 and thereby swings the leveri! from the full to the dotted line positions, Fig. 3.

When the gate 31 is in its retracted position the apertures Ml thereinare in alinement with the twin tubes 30, 30a, and hence each aperturehas received a re-agent tablet. When the test tube [6 moves forward intostation 0, the engagement of the upper end of said tube with the pin 36moves the gate forward into the dotted line position, Fig. 3, therebycarrying the openings Ml, each of which holds a re-agent tablet, intoalinement with two openings 48 formed in the member 3!, so that thetablets which are occupying the openings ll) in the gate will fall outof said openings and through the openings 43. At this time one of thechutes 2'! has been brought beneath the openings 68 so that the tabletsare deposited into said chute and from this chute they gravitate intothe test tube It which is arriving at station 0.

As the tablets are thus deposited into the chute 2'! the test tubearriving at station 0 becomes disengaged from the pin 46 of the lever4!, which is then returned to its initial or retracted position by thespring .3, and as it reaches such retracted position with its openings4i; alined with the dispensing tubes 36, 30a, each aperture 40 becomesagain loaded with a re-agent tablet. The retracting movement of thelever 4| is limited by a stop member 69.

The upper inner end of each chute 27, which travels in a path directlybeneath the tablet dispensers as stated above, is relatively wide,

and each chute has a progressively decreasing width from its upper endto its lower delivery end which is located directly over a tube holder8. Each chute is provided with side walls 59 which converge toward thelower end, the lower ends of said walls being connected by an end wall5!. At its lower end the chute is provided with a discharge opening 52through which the tablets deposited in the chute are delivered into thetest tube l6.

Inasmuch as the member 26 which carries the chutes 2'! is rotating withthe member 7 which carries the tube holders, the delivery opening 52 ofeach chute will always be directly above the tube 56 carried by thecorresponding tube holder, and hence any tablet which is deposited intothe chute will, without fail, be delivered to the test tube.

The upper end of each chute is relatively wide, as stated above, and hassufficient width so that when any tube engages the depending pin 56 andthe lever M is moved forward, the wide upper end of the chute will bebrought underneath the openings 58 before the tablets are actuallytransferred from the gate 37 into said openings t8, and hence any tabletwhich is dispensed from either of the twin tube dispensers will, without'fail, be delivered into the chute 2i and hence into the test tube. V

The disengagement of each test tube with the pin 48 results from thefact that the swinging movement of the lever 4| about its pivot 42carries the pin 46 in an are indicated by the dotted line 53 in Fig. 3,and by the time the tube which is acting on the pin 46 has reached thestation c the arcuate movement of the pin 46 carries it outside of thepath of movement of the tube is, and thereby the lever 4| is releasedfor its spring impelled return movement.

A similar mechanism is employed for actuating the gate 38 for deliveryof a re-agent tablet to each tube I6 when it reaches station e. and alsofor actuating the gate 39 for delivering a reagent tablet for each tubeIt when it reaches station it, the only difference being that each ofthe gates 38 and 39 has a single opening for receiving a single tabletfrom the corresponding dispensing tube 38c or 30h. The opening in thegate 38 is indicated at 54, and that in the gate 39 is indicated at 55.

In order to avoid confusion the elements for operating the gate 38 fordelivery of a tablet at station 6 are indicated by the referencenumerals 41c, 42c, 43c, 446, etc., and the corresponding elements foroperating the gate 39 for delivery of a tablet at station h areindicated by the reference numerals 4Ih. 42h, 43h, 44h, etc.

It will be understood from the above mentioned patent that it isnecessahy to heat the contents of each test tube while it is travelingfrom station to station, and to maintain the contents of the test tubeat the proper temperature at each station. For this purpose there isprovided a continuous electrically heated unit 56 which has a straightsection 51 extending from station b to station 0, and which is bent atstation 0 to present the two U-shaped portions 58 that are connected byan inverted U-shaped portion 59, this shape serving to heat the tube [6at station 0 to the desired temperature. A similar configuration of theheating unit is formed at station (I, and from station d the heatingunit has relatively straight sections 59 and BI which are so locatedrelative to the path of the tube I6 as to maintain the tubes at thedesired temperatre.

The preferred type of test tube is shown in Fig. 8, it having adiverging upper end portion 41 which terminates at its lower end in ashoulder 62, the purpose of which will be presently described.

The test tubescontaining the blood samples are placed in the'tub'eholders at some point between stationsa' and a, and as the turntable orrotatable carrier rotates to bring each tube successively to station 0the two tablets will be delivered into the test tube, as abovedescribed,and while the tube is at station 0 it will be heated sufficiently tocoagulate the blood proteins which rise to the top of the tube wherethey will adhere to the funnel shaped end 47 of the tube, as indicatedin dotted lines Fig. 8, the shoulder 62 retaining this coagulated massin this position;

As each tube moves through subsequent stations and receives anothertablet at station e the processing of the blood which is in the tubecontinues in a well-known way. Just before the tube reaches station h itis tilted as shown in Fig. 2 to carry the lower end thereof over thewall of a cooling tank 64, each tube assuming a vertical position assoon as it has passed over said wall 65. The tilting of each tube isaccomplished by a cam plate 66 situated to be engaged by the lower endof the tube and having a shape to tilt the tube as it is carried forwardby the rotatable carrier.

The tank 64 is mounted on the base I and contains a coolant in which thelower end of the test tube It is immersed, as shown in Fig. 5. While thelower end of each tube is in the cooling bath it is vibrated oragitated, and for this purpose there is provided an oscillating agitatormember 61 which is mounted on a vertical oscillating post 63 that ismounted in bearings 68 with which the wall of the tank 84 is provided.

Each tube is tilted to enable it to pass over the wall 65 of the tank 64as said tube passes through station g and the tube remains in the tank54 while stationary at stations h and i, as shown in Fig. 4. Theagitator member 61 is of a length to engage a tube at station h and alsoone at station 2', as best seen in Fig. 4, and both tubes are thereforesimultaneously acted on by the agitator.

The shaft 68 'of the agitator is coupled to a driven shaft?!) mounted inthe base i, and said shaft 10 has fast thereon an arm H which ispivotally connected by a link 72 with another arm 13 pivoted at it. Thearm '53 has a tooth 55 which engages ratchet teeth 16 formed on theperiphery of the disk 2|. The tooth i5 is maintained in engagement withthe ratchet teeth is by means of a spring 11 which acts on anarm l8rigid with the shaft 10.

As the disk 2| rotates with its clockwise movement, Fig. 4, theengagement of each tooth 15 with the tooth 15 of the member '53 willswing said lever outwardly, thereby turning the agitator 61 in aclockwise direction, Fig. 4, and as the tooth 75 drops off from eachtooth it the spring 1'? will return the agitator to its initialposition. The agitator 6i will thus have a relatively rapid oscillatorymovement which. will properly agitate the tubes it while they are beingcooled by the coolant in the tank 6d.

The tank 64 is provided with means for maintaining the cooling liquidtherein at a proper temperature. For this purpose the tank 64 has afalse bottom 19 beneath which is a circulating passage 98 through whicha cooling liquid flows. The side walls of the tank extend below thefalse bottom and rest on a bottom plate member 84 which is secured tothe tank body by screws 85. The false bottom 19 has radially extendingfins 80, 8| depending from its lower face which form with the bottomplate the circuitous passage 98 that extends around the inner ends ofthe fins and around the outer ends of the fins 8|, as seen in Fig. 4.

82 and 83 indicate inlet and outlet connections leading to and from thecirculating passage 98. The flow of cooling liquid through said passagemaintains the false bottom 79 sumciently cool to prevent the coolant inthe tank 64 from becoming undulyheated by transfer of heat thereto fromthe heated tubes i 6.

The tank assembly is removably mounted on the base I and the bottomplate 84 is shown in Fig. 5 as having a depending flange 37 which isreceived in a groove with which the base is provided and is retained inposition by the pin 86.

As each tube l6 leaves the tank 64 at station 7' it is delivered into astorage rack 89. Said rack comprises two rails 88 spaced properly toreceive between them the body of a tube l6, the receiving ends I00 ofthe rails being situated to receive between them each tube as it passesover the end wall of the tank 64 and assumes a vertical position. As therotary carrier moves each tube I6 away from station 7', the engagementof the tube with the end I00 of the inner rail of the rack withdraws itfrom its tube holder 8, and thereby 7 the tube is transferred to therack 89 in which the processed tubes accumulate as seen in Fig. 4.

It has been stated above that the tank 64 is removable from the base,and to provide for this the coupling between the post $8 and the shaftit is a separable coupling. The post 68 has a slot in its lower end inwhich is received a fin i Mi formed on the upper end of shaft 10.

We claim:

1. Apparatus of the class described comprising a rotatable carrier, testtube holders mounted on said carrier, means rotating said carrier with astep-by-step movement and a period of rest after each step, a pluralityof tablet dispensers, means stationarily mounting said dispensers abovethe rotary carrier and at points having a less radial distance from theaxis of the carrier than the tube holders, means actuated by a tube heldin each tube holder as it approaches each tablet dispenser to dispense atablet therefrom, and tablet guiding means carried by and rotatable withthe rotary carrier to guide each tablet as it is dis pensed from itsdispenser into said tube.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 which includes means for heating eachtest tube as it travels through one portion of its step-by-step journey,cooling means for cooling the tube during another portion of saidjourney, a spring biased oscillatory vibrator to engage each tube whileit is being cooled by the cooling means, and

means actuated by the carrier-rotating means to give the vibratorperiodically an oscillating movement in opposition to said spring.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 which in cludes means for heatingeach test tube as it travels through one portion of its step-by-stepjourney, means for cooling each tube as it travels through anotherportion of its step-by-step journey, an oscillatory vibrator of a lengthto engage the tubes in two adjacent tube holders while the carrier is atrest and said two tubes are being cooled by the cooling means, and meansconnected to and operated by the carrier-rotating means to oscillate thevibrators.

4. Apparatus of the class described comprising a rotatable carrier, testtube holders mounted on said carrier, means rotating said carrier with astep-by-step movement and a period of rest after each step, a pluralityof tablet dispensers, means supporting each tablet dispenser instationary position above the rotary carrier, said rotary carrier havinga plurality of chutes situated above the tube holders and below thetablet dispensers, there being one chute for each tube holder situated.to deliver a tablet into a tube held thereby, means actuated by a testtube in any holder as it approaches each tablet dispenser 8 to dispensea tablet therefrom and deliver it into the corresponding chute fromwhich it is delivered into said test tube.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 in which each chute presents anupstanding wall on each side and at the bottom and is provided at thebottom with a discharge opening through which the tablets are dischargedinto the tubes.

6. Apparatus of the class described comprising a rotary carrier, aplurality of test tube holders carried by said carrier, means rotatingsaid carrier with a step-by-step movement and a period. of rest aftereach movement, a stationary cap member above the rotary carrier, aplurality of tablet dispensers mounted on said cap member, said rotarycarrier having a plurality of chutes situated below the cap member andabove the test tube holders, there being one chute for each test tubeholder, and each chute being positioned to pass directly beneath thetablet dispensers during the step-by-step movement of the rotary carrierand having its delivery end directly over a tube held by thecorresponding tube holder, means actuated by a tube in any holder as itapproaches each tablet dispenser during its stepby-step rotary movementto dispense a tablet from said dispenser and deliver it into thecorresponding chute from which it is delivered to said tube.

'7. Apparatus or" the class described comprising a base member, astationary post rising therefrom centrally thereof, a tube holdingmember rotatable about said post and supported by the base, said tubeholder having provision for holding a plurality of tubes, achute-carrying member separable from the tube holding member and looselyresting thereon and supported thereby, a pin rising from the tubeholding member and fitting a socket in the bottom of the chute carryingmember, said chute carrying member havinga plurality of chutes, oneleading to each tube carried by the tube holder, a stationary cap memberdetachably mounted on said post above the chute carrying member, atablet dispenser carried by the cap member, means to rotate the tubeholding member and chute carrying member with a step-by-step movement,and means actuated by a tube carried by the tube holding member todispense a tablet from the dispenser into the chute leading to saidtube.

ARTHUR W. WANZER. FREDERICK E. KALNING.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

1. APPARATUS OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED COMPRISING A ROTATABLE CARRIER, TESTTUBE HOLDERS MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIER, MEANS ROTATING SAID CARRIER WITH ASTEP-BY-STEP MOVEMENT AND A PERIOD OF REST AFTER EACH STEP, A PLURALITYOF TABLET DISPENSERS, MEANS STATIONARILY MOUNTING SAID DISPENSERS ABOVETHE ROTARY CARRIER AND AT POINTS HAVING A LESS RADICAL DISTANCE FROM THEAXIS OF THE CARRIER THAN THE TUBE HOLDERS, MEANS ACTUATED BY A TUBE HELDIN EACH TUBE HOLDER AS IT APPROACHES EACH TABLET DISPENSER TO DISPENSE ATABLE THEREFROM, AND TABLET GUIDING MEANS CARRIER BY AND ROTATABLE WITHTHE ROTARY CARRIER TO GUIDE EACH TABLET AS IT IS DISPENSED FROM ITSDISPENSER INTO SAID TUBE.